Field-anchor



(No Model.)

W. P. MORRIS.

FIELD ANCHOR.

Patented Oct. 31, 1882.

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WHNESSES NITE STATES WILLIAM F. MORRIS, OF PARIS, KENIUUKY.

FIELD-ANCHOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,872, dated October 31, 1882.

Application filed June 3, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Field-Anchor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in field-anchors which are used in combination with the check-row chains ot'corn-planters, and is designed to be an improvement upon the field-anchor shown and described in patent to Alden Barnes, of Bloomington, Illinois, said patent.bearing original No. 132,792, of the issue of November 5, 1872, and Reissue No. 7,522, of the issue of February 20, 1877.

The object of my invention is to construct a field-anchor by the use of which the tension of the check-row wire may be regulated to any desired number of pounds and set in that position. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the field-anchor in position for operation, and Fig. 2 an enlarged view of the same, showing more clearly my improvements.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the views.

In order to set forth my invention more clearly, it will be necessary to describe to some extent the operation of the before-mentioned Barnes patent.

The check-row chain A, by the knots a of which the dropping apparatus of the cornplanter is regulated, is secured at either end to a clevis, B. Said clevis has pivoted within its sides and near its posterior end a pulley, U, which travels on a bar, I). The latter has secured to its extremities two backwardly-extending arms, E, and these are connected by chains or cords with pins F, by which the anchor is secured to the ground.

In the Barnes patent the check-row chain is (No model.)

set by drawing back the anchor as far as is thought necessary and then driving the pins F intothe ground. Now, experience has proven that to insure perfect regularity in dropping the corn it is necessary that the tension of the wire should be the same at each setting of the anchor; but with the Barnes anchor this tension is left entirely to the chance judgment of the workman, and it becomes next to impossible ever to set the anchor twice so as to have the same tension of the check-row wire.

My improvement consists, first, in substituting for the chain or cord connecting one of the arms E with its pin F a strap, G, bearing a buckle, g; and second, in attaching to the rear of the clevis B a spring-balance, H.

When I wish to set the anchor I first draw said anchor back until the check-row wire is taut and drive the pins F into the ground. I then draw upon the spring-balance until the scale indicates the requit ed tension and tighten the strap Gr until the pulley (J is tlush against the traveling bar D. Bythis means I am enabled to regulate the tension of the wire A, so that said tension will be exactly the same at each setting of the anchor; and as a consequence I am enabled to insure precise regularity in the rows of corn.

1 am aware that field-anchors have heretofore been invented in which the checkrow line is drawn to a given tension and there fixed. Such a device I do not theret'ore broadly claim as new; but

What I do claim is The combination, with a tield anchor consisting of body D, arms E E, pins F, and sliding clevis B, of the strap G, buckle g, and spring-balance H, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

\VILLIAM F'tANK MORRIS.

Witnesses:

G. O. LOOKHART, W M. B. BUcKER. 

